Adam, Age 24
by BettyHT
Summary: A sequel to Adam, Age 23 with the same characters and a few new OCs. This story deals with Two Cats, the men who hired him to kill Adam, and the Paiute and their problems with the movement of whites into their lands. Some graphic violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The day had started innocently enough. On Monday, Hoss and Adam were in town for supplies. Then they went out looking for trespassers. Now Adam sat in his camp wondering what to do about an injured Paiute woman, two men out in the darkness somewhere who would want to eliminate him and Hoss as witnesses to their transgressions, and how to explain the whole thing to the Paiute warriors who had ringed the camp looking decidedly hostile. As Adam thought about what to say, he recalled the day before when life had seemed so much simpler.

"Where you think we ought to look first, Adam?"

"Hoss, if they're running a trap line on our property again, they're probably in the streams that feed downhill the slowest. The beaver build more ponds on those. We're always trying to trap them out ourselves. If those two would just ask once, Pa might let them run some trap lines on our property. But now they just help themselves to whatever they want."

"Including a couple of calves. It ain't so bad when they take a cow, but if they take the calves, our losses mount up pretty fast. So let's head on over to that pretty little Possum Creek. Lots of beaver in that one usually."

"Those two are friends of Two Cats so we need to be very careful, and watch your back."

Hoss and Adam had been in town collecting supplies. Winter had been a difficult time to travel and they had depleted their supplies of staples. Typically now they stocked up on supplies any day when there wasn't a lot of other work to do because soon they would be doing the spring roundup, then moving herds up to the upper pastures, and getting ready for a small drive. They would need to hire more men, and they would need more supplies on hand when they did that.

While in town, Mr. Cass told them that Thom Brent and Jace Daggett had brought in a lot of beaver pelts over the past two weeks. Now if they were trapping up in the mountains where they usually ran their trap lines, they would not have been in town several times. The only place that was close enough to get that many pelts and make several trips to town in two weeks was on the Ponderosa. Adam and Hoss had brought the wagonload of supplies home, and then packed for a few days so that they could find where Thom and Jace were trapping. If it was Possum Creek, they would be home that night. If not, they would have to check each possible place for trapping, and that could take several days. They didn't find them at Possum Creek, but they camped there planning to continue the search the next day. Hoss had a few questions for Adam as they rested by the campfire after dinner.

"Adam, you ever, ah, been with a gal other than Mercy?"

Looking over at his younger brother, Adam wondered why Hoss was asking. He decided a noncommittal answer would do until he knew what it was that Hoss wanted to know. "I've been to dances and socials with other ladies. You know that."

"Nah, I mean, well you and Mercy did stuff, I guess, and I was wondering if you did stuff with other gals."

"Why you asking?"

"Aw, Adam, I'm eighteen now, and I never done nothing with a gal. Well, I kissed a few of em but that's all. I was wondering what gals would be expecting of me now that I'm a man."

"They'll be expecting whatever you're prepared to give. Just remember if you give too much, you could end up married to a lady you wouldn't have asked otherwise."

"Well, ifn I had to, well then I guess she would be someone I would ask cause I cain't see doing anything with anyone ifn I didn't like her a lot."

"That's a good way to think about it, Hoss. Now I think we ought to keep that fire real low and keep one of us on watch."

"You don't trust them two at all, do ya?"

"Somebody got Two Cats to try to kill me, and the more I have thought about it, the more I think they might have been the ones. Two Cats and I never had any kind of altercation so he had no cause to shoot me. But we know Two Cats will do just about anything if he gets paid, so I'm thinking someone paid him, and who is more likely to have done that than Jace and Thom?"

"When you say it like that, it makes a lot of sense. You said anything to Pa or Roy about it?"

"I was thinking I might talk to Roy again. But I don't know if anything can be done about it after all this time. If they were going to try again, it would have been before now."

"You been thinking on why they might have wanted you dead?"

"Well, I did run them off the Ponderosa once, and we had words on more than one occasion, but I think they had more in mind than getting even with me."

"Why do ya think that?"

"Why hire Two Cats to shoot me with his bow and arrows? They wanted the Paiute blamed for what happened, and they would have been if I hadn't seen Two Cats when I fell. That was just lucky for me and bad luck for them."

"So ya think they wanted a war with the Paiute? Why?"

"Hoss, what do they do for a living, and how would getting the Paiute out of the way help that?"

Looking confused for just a moment, Hoss brightened quickly. "They want to trap on Paiute land, and they know they risk their lives every time they head up that way. So it wasn't you so much. They were only going to kill you to get everybody else to kill the Paiute." Thinking a bit more, Hoss understood why Adam wasn't as concerned about the men as everyone else had been since Adam was shot. "So now that everybody knows it was Two Cats who tried to kill you, there's no point in them trying to do it again. Everybody would suspect Two Cats and not the Paiute."

Keeping one of them on guard all night, the two men were tired in the morning but at least they were safe. They fixed a quick breakfast and headed out on their quest to find the trespassing trappers. It was late afternoon that day after having checked three more streams when they heard a woman's screams and men's laughter. They had ridden further and further north that day which brought them closer to the Paiute hunting areas. They proceeded quickly but carefully toward the screams wanting to help but mindful that they needed to protect each other as well. Adam did have to keep Hoss from moving too fast. He reminded him that they had to stay smart to stay alive. What they found though caused them to throw all caution to the wind. Thom and Jace had a Paiute woman pinned to the ground and were ripping her clothing away. Hoss raced in and grabbed Jace pulling him away from the woman as Adam did his best with Thom who was a much bigger man. Jace pulled a knife on Hoss who was forced to back away. Thom hit Adam doubling him over. When both Jace and Thom realize that they could run, they did leaving Adam and Hoss with the woman who was doing her best to pull her clothing back together. It was a hopeless cause. Adam went to his saddlebags and pulled out an extra shirt. He untied his bedroll and got his blanket as well. He brought those to the woman and handed them to her. Her eyes were frightened, but Adam's demeanor helped her stay calm. Once she took the items from Adam, he turned his back to let her dress and give her a small amount of privacy to regain her dignity. Hoss looked over and did what Adam had done, and that's when Adam saw that he was wounded.

"Hoss, what happened to you?"

"Damn coward pulled a knife on me. It's not too bad."

By then Adam was at his brother's side and examining the wound. "It needs to be cleaned up and bandaged. It's deep and it's going to need some stitches to heal properly. You're going to have to head home as soon as I can get it cleaned and bandaged."

"I ain't leaving you out here alone."

"I have a feeling I won't be alone for long. I'll stay here with her until her people arrive. They have to be looking for her by now."

The young woman sat wrapped in the blanket and watched as Adam washed the wound on Hoss' arm, bandaged it, and then helped his brother mount up and head out. She listened carefully as the two brothers talked.

"You sure you can ride as far as the house?"

"I'm sure. I didn't bleed much with you wrapping it up so tight right away. I'll fire three shots as soon as I'm close enough to be heard. That should get someone riding out to see me."

"You take care. I'm guessing that Thom and Jace rode as hard as they could to get away from here, but you never know with those two."

"You take care too. I seen the way you look when you try to bend over or lift anything. He did some damage to your ribs, I'm guessing."

"Not broken though. They're just very sore. I'll be fine."

"Oh, ya, that's what you always say. Just don't go anywhere, and I'll send help."

"Thanks, Hoss. Now you need to go so you can get home before dark."

After Hoss left, Adam built a small campfire and began preparing some food. He offered a plate of it to the young woman. She seemed reluctant.

"My name is Adam Cartwright. I won't hurt you. You must know that by now. All I want to do is make sure you're safe until I can get you back to your people."

The young woman looked at him as she processed what he had said. She knew some English from the missionaries who came to them on occasion. Finally enough of it made sense for her to know what he was doing for her. She smiled at him then. "My name, Inola." She took the plate of food from him and began eating.

Smiling, Adam sat and ate as well. Finally it seemed he had done something right and made another person happy. That lasted only about thirty minutes before a party of Paiute warriors made their presence known. Adam was clubbed to the ground before Inola's pleas made them stop. She spoke to the men who listened but still seemed hostile. Adam did nothing. He did not want to take a chance of arousing their ire. Apparently not at all sure what to do about finding one of their women dressed in a white man's shirt and wrapped in his blanket eating his food, the warriors disarmed Adam and made him saddle up his horse. Soon he was on his way to the Paiute camp. Once there, he was pulled from his horse and made to stand and wait as Inola went to speak with some of the men. Two men then approached him. They looked more curious than hostile so he waited calmly hoping they could not see the sweat that was running down the back of his neck. Nothing was said for several minutes until Adam heard a loud authoritative voice from behind him.

"This is not how I expected we would meet again, Adam Cartwright."

Adam turned slowly and smiled. It was Numaga. They were the same age and had hunted together as youths. They had not seen each other since Adam had left for college. "It is not how I would have thought we would meet again either. It is good to see you, Numaga."

"These two fierce warriors are Inola's brothers, Tocho and Wesa. That you are not dead already is because Inola has told us that you were not one of the men who hurt her. Do you know the men who did?"

"Yes, but perhaps we could sit and talk. It's been a long day."

With Numaga's nod, Adam moved to sit at the campfire. As he gingerly settled himself, it didn't escape the attention of Numaga and Inola that Adam was injured.

"Perhaps we will talk tomorrow. It is late. We will rest, and tomorrow, we will talk."

Grateful for the respite, Adam leaned back against a log and closed his eyes. Inola took the blanket he had given her earlier and placed it over him. He opened his eyes and said thank you before closing his eyes and drifting into sleep almost immediately. Numaga took the time then to explain to those younger people who did not remember Adam that he was a friend and that he and his father had helped them on many occasions. Satisfied that he was no threat, the people of the camp settled in for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

"You know I would not do anything to Inola?"

"I know you would do nothing to Inola without her permission." Numaga laughed then, and Adam knew why. They had each spent some time in then company of young women many years before.

"That is true. She is a very beautiful young woman. Why was she there alone where those men attacked her?"

"She had a young man she liked very much. They were to marry. He died, and she has been going off to mourn him many times. That is why her hair is so short. She cuts it when she thinks of him. She does not want the attention of the other young men. Her brothers worry for her."

"How did he die?"

"Someone killed him. It was with a Paiute arrow, but not one that we knew the maker. It is a mystery to us. No one knows why he would have been killed by another Paiute."

"Was he near a stream where there were beaver?"

Numaga sat up then and placed his empty breakfast bowl on the ground. "You know who killed him?"

"No, but I have my suspicions. I was shot with two Paiute arrows last fall. It was Two Cats. He is working with two white men. They trap beaver and sell the pelts in town. Hoss and I were searching for them when we found Inola. It was those two white men who attacked her. I didn't see Two Cats, but where those two are, he's seldom far away."

"They will die!"

"Numaga, we can't be sure it is them. Hoss will let the sheriff know what happened, and I'm sure they'll get a posse together to find the two men. Don't do anything that will get your people in a war with the white settlers. It's exactly what they want. You'll be pushed off this land, and then they can come in and take what they want."

"My friend, they already do. We cannot let the death of one of our own go unpunished."

"Just wait. Maybe they will be punished by our laws."

"Will they die? Will they lose their lives to pay for the life they have taken?"

Pausing, Adam knew his answer would not be what Numaga wanted, but he had to try to get him to look for the future instead of avenging the past. "No, they won't. But is it worth the deaths of more of your young men to avenge the death of one? Your people have kept the peace so far. Can't you keep it longer for the sake of the women and children at least?"

"If someone killed your brother, would not your whole family and your friends risk their lives to bring those killers to justice?"

Adam could only nod. He had no argument to counter that one. Inola walked to the two men with a handful of strips of cloth and leather. She pointed to Adam and then to her wickiup. Adam wasn't sure what she wanted from him. Numaga clarified that it was exactly how it looked.

"She wishes to bandage your ribs. We can all tell that you're hurting no matter how much you try to hide it. Go in there, and she will help you." Numaga smiled too for this was the first time that Inola seemed to take an interest in another person. Her natural inclination to care for others had overcome her grief. He hoped it would last.

In the wickiup, Inola signaled that Adam should remove his shirt. He did so and she frowned seeing the deep purple bruising on his left side. She touched it then to be sure there were no breaks. Adam sucked in his breath as she pressed on the injured area but said nothing. She took some soft cloth and pointed up to get him to raise his arms. Then she wrapped the cloth around him before using the strips of leather to bind his ribs tightly. As she finished, her fingers brushed across the hair on his chest. She looked surprised.

"It's just hair. Lots of white men have hair on them." Brushing his hand across his chin, Adam smiled. "I could use my razor to get rid of this too."

Tilting her head to one side, Inola looked at him and thought through the things he had said. Then she smiled and reached out a hand toward his chest. He nodded, and she lightly caressed his chest above the bandage. "Soft. I thought it would be, I don't know how to say it, but not soft."

Placing his hand over hers on his chest, Adam smiled. "Thank you."

Inola lightly touched the bruises on his arm then. "I'm sorry you were hurt by my people. They did not know you were a friend."

"No harm done. I understand."

Inola noticed then that Adam had some dried blood on his neck behind his ear. Probing she found a small cut where he had been hit. She wet a cloth and cleaned the area as he winced. There was no additional bleeding so there was no need for a bandage. She handed him his shirt then and waited while he slipped it on and buttoned up. She stepped up and kissed him lightly then. He looked at her in surprise as she turned and exited the wickiup. He stepped out behind her and watched her walk away. She turned back once and smiled before going over to where the other women were sitting and doing work.

"She likes you." Because Numaga was smiling, Adam knew that he did not think there was any problem with that. "You have saved her in more ways than one, I think. She needed kindness and gentleness from a man to show her that there was hope yet. She has grieved far too long. It is better to see her smile. You will travel to your home now?"

"Yes, Hoss is going to be worried if I don't show up soon. He told me not to go anywhere and he would send help. If that happened, and I have no reason to doubt that it did, they're probably worried about where I am and how I'm doing. I'll need to go to make sure that they know everything is all right between us."

"The women packed up some food for you. They wanted to show they were grateful that you brought Inola home safely."

After accepting the small parcel, Adam tightened the cinch on his horse before mounting up. Waving to Numaga and the others, he wheeled his horse to head for home. He realized then that he had not heard Numaga mention a wife. He wondered at that for he had assumed his friend would have married by this point. He decided he would need to ask about that the next time they met. As soon as he cleared the grove of trees that encircled the camp, he kicked his horse into a gallop and nearly as quickly reined him in. Pain seemed to radiate from his ribs to his back, his hips, and his neck. He felt suddenly as if he wanted to retch. He knew how much that would hurt at that moment so he simply pulled his horse to a standstill to wait it out. Sweat ran down his face and dripped down. He breathed in through his mouth in an attempt to quell the riot about to break loose from his stomach. The world was moving and he was standing still or at least that's what it felt like. He closed his eyes and waited.

Gradually the pain diminished and Adam's stomach settled enough for him to know that breakfast would stay where it was. He pulled his canteen and took a sip of water. Then after draping the canteen strap back over the pommel, he lightly tapped the horse to get him to walk. The ride home was going to be a lot longer than he had anticipated. He had awakened with a headache and assumed it was the awkward sleeping position that had caused it, but those reactions from his body told him that he likely had a mild concussion. Riding slowly did not exacerbate his condition to he continued on toward home very slowly. About noon, he decided to stop and rest. He ground tied his horse so it could graze and took the parcel of food and his canteen. Sitting under a tree, he leaned against the trunk to rest. Closing his eyes, he fell into sleep almost immediately. When he awakened, it was hours later. He picked up his gear and walked to his horse that was contentedly munching on grass. Adam felt better than he had earlier.

"Well, boy, you should be well rested and well fed. I'm afraid I won't make it home tonight though. At this pace and with the delay I caused by falling asleep, we'll have to camp out here again. Just one more night though."

Mounting up, Adam headed toward home but knew he wouldn't get there at that slow pace until the next day. By early evening, he was looking for a likely place to camp.

"Sorry, boy, but we won't be making it home today. We're getting close to half way though. Tomorrow, I promise I won't sleep away the middle of the day, and we'll be home by evening. I'll give you a nice big scoop of grain. You act as lookout tonight, all right? I don't think I can stay awake at all."

Unfortunately Adam never heard the nervous whinnying from his horse that night. What awakened him was a rifle barrel pressed up against his cheek. That got his full attention. Looking up in the moonlight to see who had accosted him, he groaned. He knew the rest of the night and probably the next day was not going to be pleasant at all.

"You owe us, Cartwright. We went back to our camp last night after your brother left and those damn Paiute took you and that squaw with em. Those damn Paiute friends of yours took our furs and everything else that was worth anything in our camp. We figure we'll take your stuff and call it even for now."

"Aw, c'mon Jace, we gotta leave him somethun."

"You're right, Thom. We'll leave him his rope." Laughing, Jace grabbed the rope from Adam's saddle. "Back up against that tree. Thom, tie him to that tree."

So Adam spent the night tied to a tree. He fell asleep but his sleep was fitful as he awakened often in the uncomfortable position. The next morning, Jace and Thom used his provisions and his frying pan to fix breakfast. After they ate, they packed everything away, saddled the horses, and loaded everything extra on Adam's horse. Riding their horses and leading his, Jace and Thom waved and laughed as they rode off with one last jibe.

"I surely hope that there aren't any hungry wolves or bears around. Course that might be more merciful than dying slow tied to that tree like ya are."

Adam waited until he was sure they were actually leaving and not trying to torment him in some way. Then he worked his hand into his jacket pocket to retrieve his pocketknife. Being very careful not to drop it, Adam slowly got it open with one hand. Then he sawed at on the rope. After he cut one strand, he struggled to pull himself free. He thought he might need the rope and didn't want to cut through it again. Once he was free, he wound the rope and put it across his chest. He put his pocketknife back in his pocket and made sure he still had the small tin of matches he carried there. Taking inventory, he had his pocketknife, matches, a handkerchief, and a rope. It would have to do. Then he heard thunder and looked up. It appeared that within an hour or two, he was going to be caught in a big storm. He began looking around for materials to make a shelter.

Finding some thick fallen branches, Adam used one with a fork in it to brace the others and then tied them at the top like a tipi would be tied. Then on three sides he began to layer thick pine branches. He felt the temperature begin to drop as the storm got closer so he gathered up as many pine needles as he could and pushed them inside his shelter. Finally as the first drops began to fall and the wind began to rise, he crawled into his small shelter and burrowed into the pine needles. Luckily for him, the storm was moving fast. Within two hours, it was gone. He looked out to see the hailstones that covered the ground. Thinking that he needed those, he moved out of his snug and aromatic shelter and began picking up large hailstones and putting them in his mouth. Before they all melted, he had taken care of his thirst. Next he needed to get somewhere for help. The meadows he had ridden in were more attractive for walking than the rocky slopes he would have to traverse to go home, so he opted to try to return to the Paiute camp and hoped they had not yet moved. Taking a deep breath, he started his walk back. As evening approached, he sank down next to a log to rest. He wasn't sure he could walk any further. Hearing horses coming up behind him, he whirled around worried that Jace and Thom were back for more mischief. He sank to his knees again when he saw who it was.

"When we were younger, you took better care of yourself. Now what has happened?" Numaga dismounted and walked to his friend.

"The men you wanted to find, found me. They have my horse and everything else I had. Unfortunately I think the rain has probably wiped out any tracks they may have left."

"That is all right. We will find them one day, and they will face justice. Now, we get you back to our camp. You look like you could use a little help."

Nodding, Adam was grateful when one young warrior offered his horse. Adam could ride bareback especially as they did not have far to go. The young man mounted up with another, and the small hunting group headed back to the Paiute camp.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

In the camp, Numaga instructed Adam to head to a tipi at the far end of the camp. Numaga's wife was Newe and she had made a tipi for them. With the intermarriages with the Newe, the camp was a mixture of Paiute and Newe culture although Paiute predominated. When Adam reached the tipi, he found a lovely woman who was very heavy with child. She smiled at him and greeted him in English although their conversation was short as her English was quite limited as was Adam's Paiute. She told Adam to go inside and followed him there. She indicated a sleeping mat to one side for him to use and settled herself on the other. It was warm and dry inside. Adam lay back and waited for his friend, but the next person to enter was Inola. She knelt beside him and touched his clothing.

"You should take those off. They are damp. I will hang them and they will be dry by morning."

As Adam pulled off his coat, Inola began unbuttoning his shirt. He stopped her hands.

"I can take care of that myself." As she moved to pull his boots from his feet, he made the same statement. She sat back on her heels then and waited for the clothing. He handed his shirt and coat to her, and she hung them up. Then she pointed at his pants. "Oh, no, I think I'll keep those."

"They are damp, and will make the sleeping place damp."

Looking at Numaga's wife who frowned and told him to take off his pants, Adam had little choice if he wanted to sleep there. Taking a deep breath, he slipped under the coverings there and pushed his pants down. He pulled them from under the covers and handed them to Inola who hung them with the rest of his clothing. He reached down and peeled his socks from his feet handing them to Inola with a sheepish grin. She smiled before removing her dress. Adam was shocked but even more so as she moved to slip into the same sleeping mat where he lay. Numaga entered at that point and laughed at the scene before him.

"That is her sleeping mat. She often stays with us and helps Chenoa now more than ever for she will have our child soon. Inola will keep you warm, and you will keep her warm. If it is what she wants, do not object. It would be rude."

Smiling, Inola slipped under the coverings with Adam. He turned his back to her, which gave him a view of Numaga and his wife and made him lay on his sore ribs. That would have been tolerable except Numaga decided to make love with his wife so Adam had to turn to his other side facing Inola. She simply smiled understanding his embarrassment and rolled on her other side before pressing herself back into him spoon fashion. He wrapped an arm around her then for he had nowhere else he could comfortably put it. She took his hand and held it between hers before closing her eyes and falling into a light sleep. Adam wasn't sure he would sleep at all with sounds of lovemaking behind him and a naked woman pressed up against him and her holding his hand with her warm soft hands. He did know that the Paiute took no shame in a naked body, and were amused by the white belief that the body had to be hidden and that whites saw it as sinful to expose oneself even when swimming. He had reacted to her state, and he knew she had noticed but had not been bothered by it. Apparently she saw it as a natural reaction. He did his best to relax then and fall asleep and was surprised when he awakened with dawn light beginning to lighten the tipi. Feeling him stir behind her, Inola slipped from the sleeping mat and dropped her dress on over her head. She handed socks, boots, and pants to Adam waiting for him to dress but not averting her eyes. He was going to reach for his shirt but she grasped his hand and pulled him from the tipi. Numaga and his wife watched them leave together.

"She likes him."

"He likes her too, but I'm worried. Their worlds are so different. She would not be accepted in his world, and he would not live in ours."

"They will find their way or not. It is their concern not ours."

"It is our concern. He is our friend and she is our sister and she has another to be concerned about as well. I do not see a way for them. Perhaps all they have is some small happiness now."

Reclining then, Chenoa told Numaga that she was tired and would rest a bit more. She had felt some tightening of her muscles earlier and suspected the baby was going to arrive that day. She would need all the rest she could get now if that was true. Numaga dressed and left to get some breakfast as she closed her eyes to get a little more sleep.

Outside, Inola had led Adam to a shallow pool fed by a small stream. Adam went behind some bushes to do his business and then walked to the water where Inola was washing. The water was cool and refreshing. He washed himself keeping his back to Inola as she freshened up as well. He wished he could do something about his beard but had lost his shaving kit when Jace and Thom took everything he had. He walked back with Inola and retrieved his shirt. Once he had gotten wet, he had felt the chill of the morning air a bit more. Two young men ran into the camp and to Numaga's tipi. In just a short time, Numaga joined Adam as he stood near a fire that Inola was building into a warm blaze.

"I think your family comes for you. The young men have seen three horsemen riding in this direction. By the description, it must be your family."

Numaga and Adam got breakfast bowls and sat by the fire awaiting the arrival of the rest of the Cartwrights. Numaga told some women that he wanted them to prepare more food as they were going to have guests soon.

"Your father must be sick with worry about you."

"Yes, he probably is. I don't know that I could have done anything differently though. Hoss was hurt and had to get home, and I couldn't leave Inola out there alone. It would have only been one day if not for a storm, a slow ride, and then being bushwhacked."

"What is this 'bushwhacked'?"

"When Jace and Thom jumped me and took my horse and guns. They surprised me. I never had a chance to defend myself against them."

About a half hour later, Ben and his younger sons rode into camp. Hoss had tracked Adam from the camp he had made with Inola the afternoon when they had rescued her. Ben looked slightly perturbed to find Adam in such good health and enjoying breakfast. "We have been looking for you for a day and a half. I was worried sick about what could have happened, and yet you look none the worse for wear."

"You do seem a bit disappointed by that, Pa." Adam relished the opportunity to tease his father a bit, but Ben was not in the mood for it.

"Of course I'm not disappointed by that. I am greatly relieved to find you in good health and apparently unharmed. What I'm wondering is why you didn't come home to let us know that you were all right."

"Well, I would have except Inola's people thought that I might have done something wrong and hit me and dragged me here. Then once that was all straightened out, I fell asleep because it was late. The next morning, Inola bandaged my ribs and I headed home, except the knock on the head had done more harm than I thought so I ended up having to go slowly and then I fell asleep at noon. By the time I was awake, it was already too late to get home so I ended up making a camp later. Jace and Thom bushwhacked me there and took everything I had. After I got untied from the tree, I had to hole up in a lean-to until the thunderstorm passed, but it did give me some hail to quench my thirst. However I was still without a horse, so I did my best to walk back here, but instead Numaga and a hunting party found me and gave me a ride. I got back here late yesterday and got to sleep here and now I'm having breakfast. Numaga had the women make extra when the scouts said you were riding here."

Hoss didn't need a second invitation after having cold beans and a day-old biscuit for breakfast. Little Joe dismounted as soon as Hoss did. He had never been in the Paiute camp before and was fascinated by everything. Ben sat on his horse a moment longer processing everything his oldest son had told him. Then he shook his head just a little and dismounted as well. Once he had a breakfast bowl, he began to ask Adam questions to add details to the story he had been told. Adam asked Hoss about his trip home and how his arm was. Numaga listened and smiled at the family chatter. Then Adam asked how much it would cost to buy a horse for the ride home, and some serious bargaining began.

Once that was concluded, Adam went to retrieve his coat and hat from Numaga's tipi. He found Chenoa inside gasping in pain. Rushing back to the campfire, he told Numaga who told the women including Inola who rushed to help. Adam had neglected to get his hat and coat in the excitement so Inola brought them out to him knowing that he was leaving. She walked with him to the horse he had purchased. It was a large chestnut with white stockings. He planned to ride him bareback until he got home and then planned to train him to the saddle once he got another one to replace the one Jace and Thom had stolen. Inola handed him the rope he had carried, but he told her to keep it as it was cut and had little use for him, but he assumed the Paiute would be able to use the two pieces. She smiled at that. She wished instead that they had more time together. Adam took her hand and kissed the palm.

"Goodbye for now. I plan to see you again as soon as I can find time to get away."

"I would like that very much, Adam Cartwright."

"Inola, take care, and thank you for everything."

"Thank you. You brought me out of my sadness. I can live again."

Smiling, Adam mounted up to join his family who were waiting for him. He rode up to Numaga and said he would be back to see his baby as soon as possible. Numaga smiled again for he assumed there were other reasons that Adam wanted to visit again so soon and the most important one was probably Inola. As Adam rode off with his family, he asked why Little Joe had come along on what could have been a difficult trip except for the help the Paiute had given him. Hoss answered.

"Ain't no way he was staying behind. He woulda snuck out on Hop Sing and followed on his own. We figured it was safer to have him with us than traveling all by himself."

"Hey, Adam, who was that girl you were with? Did you kiss her? I saw you kiss her hand? Isn't that kinda yucky?" Little Joe was curious about everything he had seen in the Paiute camp but nothing aroused his curiosity more than what his oldest brother had been doing.

"That was the woman that Hoss and I rescued. She is very nice."

Little Joe would have asked more questions, but Ben saw how pale Adam was getting as they rode. Seeing Adam looking so well earlier had made him forget that he had suffered a rib injury as well as a blow to the head. "Son, is this too fast a pace for you?"

"I wouldn't mind traveling a little slower."

From Adam, that was as much of an admission as they were going to get that he was not feeling well. Ben slowed his horse to a walk bringing the whole group to a slower pace. "Hoss and Little Joe can ride ahead. I have enough provisions with me for one night camping out if we have to."

Little Joe wanted to stay too but Ben said he didn't have enough provisions for all of them to camp out. Hoss mentioned though that if they didn't make it home, they could seek out a line cabin because those were stocked with provisions. Ben agreed that was a better solution because they wouldn't have to split up, and with Jace and Thom still out there somewhere, it was better to keep the four of them together. So that was how they proceeded, and they spent that night in a line cabin eating beans and flatbread and drinking coffee which was all they could make with what they had with them and what was in the cabin.

Late on the second day, they arrived home. Hoss and Little Joe took care of the horses, and Ben walked with Adam to the house. As soon as they entered, Hop Sing was there asking how Mistah Adam was doing. Hearing about the ribs and head wound, Hop Sing hustled Adam into the kitchen for some care. He changed the binding on his ribs replacing what was there with clean bandages and putting salve on the cut on Adam's head. Then he told Adam to sit in his chair so that Hop Sing could prepare a plate of food for him. Before he got there with the food, Adam had fallen asleep. Hop Sing handed the plate to Ben.

"I make more. He eat after he rest."

Ben smiled. Hop Sing was another parent to his sons. He sat there then eating and watching his son sleep. Grateful to have all three sons home and safe, Ben wondered what he could do about Thom and Jace. He would let Roy know they bushwhacked Adam and stolen his property including his horse. Leaving him tied to a tree could warrant an attempted murder charge as well. But Two Cats had eluded everyone since last fall even with a reward out for his capture. Ben had no reason to expect it would be any different with Jace and Thom so he tried to think of something else he could do but had no new ideas.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Hoss was up early to help Adam with chores and to work with Adam's new horse. There was an old saddle in the tack room that they used until Adam could buy a new one.

"You'll need a bigger saddle anyway. This horse is probably two hands taller than your horse was. You had him, about what, eight years?"

"About that. I got him when I was fifteen. Pa said I needed a better horse to work the roundup and the drive that year. He was only a couple of years old then. I hope that Jace and Thom sell him to someone who'll treat him decently. He was a good horse."

"This one's a beauty, though, ain't he? What you gonna call him?"

"How about Beauty? That's what you said he was."

"Nah, that ain't a proper name for your horse. You gotta think up something that fits him. You can take your time. You ain't gonna be working for a few days anyways with those ribs. Pa's got me on light duty too until the stitches come outta my arm."

"And yet you rode out tracking me."

"Well, it wasn't so much tracking as guessing. The rain wiped out any useful tracks. But we found the first camp all messed up so we figured somebody had been there to do that. Then I found your lean-to or what was left of it. I figured you must have had to get shelter. Then cause we didn't see you on the way up, I figured you probably went to the Paiute for help. So we rode in the direction we thought we'd find em. As soon as we could smell smoke, we knew we were going the right way."

"You're a smart man, Hoss, but you still did all that with stitches in your arm."

"Nothing woulda stopped me from going to find you."

Working at cleaning up the old saddle, Adam didn't say anything for a bit. Then he said what he knew Hoss would understand. "Thank you, brother. I appreciate what you did. Now let's see if we can get him to wear this."

"Ifn he lets us put it on him, then what?"

"I think he will. He's had a blanket and a rider on him without complaint. He just needs to get used to the feel of it. I was thinking of walking down to the old cabin to visit with Moses and Matilda."

"Dagnabit, I forgot to tell ya. They done had their baby. He's a right cute one too. They named him Daniel. You gotta see him. He was a big one. Matilda had to stay in bed after he was born. She's still probably in bed. Pa told Moses to stay there for a week and make sure she was all right."

"Pa's warming up to Moses a bit then?"

"I think so. Hard not to admire a man who works so hard. He never complains neither, not like some of the other hands. He does things that need doing too without being asked."

"Makes you wonder how far he could go up in life if he wasn't colored. He told me he likes to work with horses. I could see him being a teamster. They get paid a lot more than cowhands."

"Oh, I could see that too. He's real good with his hands. He helped me fix that wagon last week. I wonder how you get to be a teamster?"

"Not much to it. You just need a good team and a big wagon."

Soon after, Adam began walking his horse to the old cabin. He had two apples with him. About halfway, he stopped and broke one apple into halves. He fed one to the horse, took a bite of the other one, and then fed that to the horse too. He rubbed his neck and his cheeks. Then he continued the walk talking softly to the horse about the ranch and his family. By the time he reached the cabin, the horse was walking by him with the lead rope hanging loosely in Adam's hand. The horse seemed curious about what was around him and was relaxed in Adam's company although he seemed edgy the rest of the time. Adam had a good idea now why Numaga had smiled so much when they made the deal for the horse. He had expected Adam to be bucked off the horse giving everyone a good laugh. When he was able to ride him with no problem, Numaga was probably disappointed in not having his fun. The horse did like to throw his head a lot, but Adam thought it was an excess of energy instead of any malicious intent. As Adam approached the old cabin, Moses stepped outside with a basin of dirty water and threw it on some bushes near the cabin. He saw Adam walking up and waited.

"Good to see you back and upright. Your family was a mite worried about you."

"Thank you. If you have an extra cup of coffee, I'll tell the whole tale."

"I'll be right out with some. Matilda is feeding Daniel so I'll bring you in to see our boy when she's done."

So the two men sat on the porch, and Adam told the tale of rescuing Inola, going to the Paiute camp, being bushwhacked on the way back, and then going back to the Paiute camp where his family found him. He told Moses about Inola."

"So you likes her a lot?"

"Yes, there's something about her that draws me to her."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful of your feelings, but is it that she is Paiute that has something to do with the attraction cause you do seem to admire them a lot?"

Leaning back and thinking for a bit, Adam nodded. "That could be part of it. I mentioned to Pa that I thought Inola was wonderful, and he got all preachy with me. About how I couldn't think of seeing her because we were too different."

"What do you see when you see her?"

"I see a beautiful, gentle woman. She is so caring and wonderful to be with."

"Wonderful to be with cause she's such a pleasure for your eyes?"

Smiling a little, Adam nodded. Moses sipped his coffee and sat thinking long enough that Adam had to ask him about his thoughts.

"Well, ya see, I saw quite a few young womens with ma eyes. I liked what I saw, and I really did want to spend all ma time with each of em. But when I saw Matilda, I saw her with ma heart. All I wanted was ta make her happy. With them others, I was thinking on ways ta make me happy, and did just that thing more than once. Now I was considerate, but we was together for pleasure and I likes ta think they gots as much as I did. But with Matilda, I was always thinking on what I could do to make her happy. Seeing her smile brought a tear to my eye knowing I did something that touched her heart. When she done tole me that she was having our baby, I has to tell ya, I cried. Tears was just a rollin off ma face. Few days ago, when she had Daniel, it dun happened again. I tell ya, that's how I knows it's love. She can bring a tear to ma eye just by being her and living her life wit me."

Adam was dumbfounded. All those years in school and knowing so many intelligent, well educated people, and no one had ever explained love to him that way. It was real and it was visceral. He could feel the love expressed by Moses as he talked about his wife. "I don't feel that way about Inola. I do like her a lot though, and maybe that kind of love could grow between us."

"It could. From what you tole me bout her, I could see her giving you her love like that. But would you be able to give her the same kinda love? Would you be willing to give up what ya gots here, your family, your friends, and everything else, and go live with her and her peoples?"

"I was thinking she would come here to live with me."

"So ya wants her to give up everything she has, her family, and her friends and come live with you. You knows that there be lots a white folks wouldn't take kindly to her. She would suffer some by being your wife."

Then Adam blurted out the only bit of information he had held back when telling Moses about Inola. "She's going to have a baby."

"Well, too soon to be yours. Who the father of her baby?"

"The man she loved and wanted to marry. He was killed. She was mourning him since."

"So her feelings for y'all might be even more complicated than ya think."

"Maybe, and sitting here talking with you has made me realize that I felt attraction for her, but I'm not sure that there was any feeling involved other than wanting to protect her. I hadn't even thought so much about what it would be like for her to try to live in my world, and her child could face even more especially if it was a boy."

"Ya, it hard living in a culture that don't want ya there."

"I have a lot to think about now."

"Well, how about telling me about your new horse. He looks like a mighty fine animal." The two men stood and walked over next to the horse. Moses checked the legs and stroked the horse's neck. "He a good sport about letting me near him. He don't seem afraid of nothing. What's his name?"

"He doesn't have one yet, but you gave me an idea. He is a good sport. He was from the first moment I mounted up on him to ride home. I'll call him Sport."

"Good name for him. Now let's go inside so's I can show off my new addition. Matilda should be done nursing him by now."

After seeing Moses and Matilda with Daniel, Adam had an even stronger love for his friends. They shared their love so freely and were willing to give so much. Matilda apologized for not having any fresh baked goods to send with him, but Adam said he was just very happy she was well and that she and Moses had such a fine and healthy son. As Adam was thinking about leaving, Matilda told Moses to ask him the question he had. Adam waited.

"Moses, you know you can say anything to me. What's on your mind?"

"Well, I been wondering if there's a job on the Ponderosa or around here that pays better than what I'm making now. I mean, I do enjoy working here, but I would really like a place of ma own an it gonna be hard making enough money this way to buy our own place."

"That's funny because Hoss and I were talking earlier about you. We thought perhaps you would make a good teamster. You have a way with horses, and you know your way around a wagon. Hoss said you helped him fix ours."

"Well, I did a lot of that kinda work afore we run away. The problem be that I can't afford no wagon and team. Ifn I did, I could buy us a place right now."

"How much do you have?"

Moses counted out the money that he and Matilda had saved. Adam sat back and thought a bit. "That's probably about a third of what you'll need. If you want, I'll be your silent partner and put up the rest. I'll take a share until you're ready to buy me out."

"If you take that big a share, won't I be making bout what I'm making now?"

"Well, first of all, I won't be taking two thirds. I'll put up half the money, but I won't be doing any of the work. I think one fourth ought to be enough. In the busy months, you'll be bringing in about four times what you're earning here. Even with paying me a share, you'll still make three times what you're making now. I'll get Pa to let you stay here in the cabin too as long as you keep making improvements. Then you can get your own place and buy out my half when you've saved enough."

"Will people hire me?"

"Good teamsters are in demand out here. Even poor teamsters get work. There's a lot of freight to be moved. Everything from logs to ore as well as crates of equipment and tools and sacks of provisions has to be hauled. Anything you see has to be hauled into here. You'll get hired. That won't be a problem. The other good news is that there'll be work in winter too although sometimes the roads are blocked, but then you'll haul to Carson instead of Virginia City."

Looking at Matilda who smiled back at him, Moses turned to Adam. "You got yourself a business partner, Adam. When can we get started on finding a team and a wagon?"

"Give me a few days so my ribs heal up enough for me to comfortably ride to town with you, and we can get started. I want to buy a saddle for Sport anyway. I'll talk to the men who run livery stables and find out who's got some good freight horses for sale. The wagon we can build to save some money. It won't take that long. Getting the right horses for a team will be more of a challenge."

The two men shook hands, and Adam began walking home. He had just concluded his first business deal and made his first investment. He assumed his father would not be happy with it, but could hardly object too much. Adam would be using his own money and his own time. He also had some thinking to do about Inola. Moses had planted a lot of doubt in him as to whether that relationship should be pursued.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"You've had that horse a month, and you're the only one who can ride him. He must think you're Paiute and the rest of us ain't."

"Well he did meet me with the Paiute. He knows my smell. And he's my horse anyway so why does it matter if no one else can ride him?"

"Well, I guess it don't. Just seems a bit odd to me that he's so dang ornery with everyone yet after being here so long."

"He gets along fine with the other horses, and he does a good job for me. I can't expect anything more from him."

Sitting on a bale of hay, Little Joe watched his two brothers brush their horses down after a long day of work. "Pa says that horse suits Adam." Hoss laughed, and Adam scowled. "What does that mean anyhow?"

"It means that Pa thinks Adam is ornery too, and Pa can't ride him like he does us. Adam's gonna do things his way whether Pa likes it or not."

"I don't purposely try to irritate him."

"No, but he's still upset that you set Moses up with a teamster rig and still let him stay at the cabin."

"He's helping us out by hauling lumber, and he didn't leave until we had a replacement for him. He's still fixing up the cabin and stable too."

"I didn't mean you had to convince me. I think it's a good deal all around. Pa don't agree."

"Sometimes I think he doesn't agree just because it's my idea. If he had the idea, then he would probably like it." Suddenly Adam smiled, and his brothers had no idea why. Adam was plotting about how he could get his father to think that the next idea was his instead of Adam's. He would have to start planting a few seeds and see how they would grow.

The three brothers left the stable then to head in for dinner. Little Joe looked longingly at Sport. His oldest brother could do so many things that he couldn't. He wished he could ride Sport to prove to everyone that he could do things like that too. He longed to hear the hands say things about him like they talked about his older brothers but especially the things they said about Adam's horsemanship. He wanted them to say that he was a great rider too. Adam had planted a seed that he had not intended to plant. It only took until the next morning for trouble to grow from it.

Little Joe awakened early, as he often did because of a pressing need. Once he had relief, he always went back to bed and ended up being the last to rise for the day. But on that morning, he had a plan. He dressed and carried his boots as he walked down the stairs. Ben and Adam heard someone in the hall and both assumed it was the other because they were both early risers. Both got up then, took care of needs, shaved, and dressed before heading down the stairs surprised not to see someone already at the dining table having coffee. They heard a commotion outside then and one of the hands pounded on the door. Adam opened the door to find one of the hands carrying Little Joe into the house while another carefully held his left arm.

"Looks like he tried to ride Adam's horse. It didn't work out too well for him."

In the stable, Little Joe had saddled Sport. The horse was highly agitated with someone other than Adam or Hoss doing that so when Little Joe led him from the stable, he was already tossing his head ready to run. Little Joe tried to mount up, but Sport kept shying away until he had the corral fence to his side and the stable right behind him. Then he reared to tear the reins from Little Joe's hand so he could escape. However Little Joe was trying to mount up at that point and with one foot in the stirrup, he had been thrown back against the stable wall breaking his left arm. It wasn't a bad break, but painful causing him to moan and cry piteously. Ben took him from the hand and carried him upstairs after telling the man to send someone to ride for the doctor. Upstairs he carefully laid Little Joe on his bed. Hop Sing was there with cold water and cloths to try to soothe some of the pain. Hoss was up then and came to the door where Adam stood watching.

"Is he gonna be all right, Pa?"

"He'll be fine, but his arm is broken. He wouldn't have a problem like this if Adam hadn't brought that damn horse here."

Shocked, Adam stood up straight from where he had been leaning against the doorframe. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. His little brother had disobeyed and done something stupid and dangerous, but their father had just dumped the blame for what happened on him. Without a word, he turned and left. Hoss wanted to reach out to him but didn't know what he could say to soften the sting of what their father had said.

"Pa, ain't ya gonna go talk with Adam?"

"I have to stay here with Little Joe. He's hurt."

"There's more than one way to be hurt, Pa. A broken bone can heal itself." Hoss left then for he wouldn't let Adam leave without someone telling him it wasn't his fault, and he knew in his heart that Adam was going to be riding out soon.

As Hoss left, Hop Sing looked up at his boss. "Little Joe hurt self. Not fault of anyone else. You hurt number one son." Hop Sing wanted so much to say more but Ben's angry gaze stopped him. As a father, he was focused in on the pain of his youngest. He couldn't see the pain he had caused his oldest. Hop Sing knew he would feel badly about it later, but harm had already been done, and it would not be easily healed.

Because Sport was already saddled, Adam was mounting up before Hoss got outside. "Adam, don't go. Pa was upset. He didn't mean what he said."

"Didn't he? Then why isn't he here right now instead of you. If I walked up there again right now, wouldn't he say the exact thing he already said? His precious baby boy has been hurt, and once again, he gets away with disobeying. I need to get away from here for a while. I'm riding up to the lumber mill to check on the progress of those orders we have, and then I may go visit the Paiute. I find their honesty refreshing."

"Just don't forget where your home and family are. We'll be waiting for you to come home."

As Adam nodded and wheeled his horse to leave, Hoss suspected that one of the reasons he had chosen the lumber mill was that he might have a chance to talk with Moses. Hoss thanked the Lord for Moses on a number of occasions because he seemed to help Adam with problems. Somehow he was able to gently prod Adam to think about things. Hoss hoped Moses was there. His brother needed some solace. He always seemed so strong and tough, but his heart was pierced more easily than most. Hoss walked back inside with a heavy heart. His little brother and his older brother were both in pain, and there was nothing he could do about either. The healer in him was frustrated by such a situation. He slowly climbed the stairs not wanting to have to tell his father that Adam had left, but knowing he had to do just that. He got the reaction from his father that he had expected.

"What do you mean, he left? His brother is hurt by his horse, and he just rides off?"

"Pa, there ain't nothing he can do for Little Joe. He went to the lumber camp to check on the progress of those orders we have. Then he may ride somewhere else."

"I suppose he wants to go back to see that woman in the Paiute camp. That boy just can't seem to do things the easy way. He's always taking on more trouble just like that damn horse of his."

Hoss got angry and talked that way to his father. It was so rare for that to happen that Ben had nothing to say at first. "Pa, that ain't fair. That's a really good horse he has. It was Little Joe's fault for trying to ride him. He snuck out of the house early cause he knew he wasn't supposed to do that. He didn't ask permission and he didn't ask for help. He's darn lucky all he got was a broken arm. Ifn you keep letting him get away with stuff like this, he's gonna get in more and more trouble as he gets older. He just likes to do whatever pops into his head to do."

Being lectured on how to be a father was the last straw for Ben. He was angry. His retort though only made Hoss angrier. "Maybe someday you might see that you raised your sons to be men. I understand how Adam feels. Ifn you thought about it some, you'd understand too." With that, Hoss turned to leave.

"Now where are you going?"

"Out. I got work to do, and I ain't doing no good here."

"That's not much of an answer."

"It's the only one I got for you right now." Hoss left then, and spent much of the rest of the day fuming. He was beginning to get a more complete understanding of Adam's frustration. Six years older and with a college education, and their father still treated him as a boy much of the time.

Very similar thoughts were coursing through Adam's mind as he rode to the lumber mill. Luckily it was a long ride so he had a chance to cool down before he got there. Moses was gone by the time he arrived which Adam found disappointing, but the orders were well on their way to completion so that make him happier. Once this mill was regularly funneling income into the Ponderosa, perhaps his father would listen to more of his ideas. He spent some time there and then headed to the timber camps where he found he needed to blaze more trees before he could leave.

Two days later, he saddled up in the morning to head to the Paiute camp. He wanted to visit and especially wanted to see Inola and talk with her. When he got to the camp, he found that there were many missing, and those who were there looked upon him with hostility. He went to Numaga's tipi and found him there.

"The ones you suspected have done more harm. I have sent the young men after them."

"What did they do this time?"

Pointing to the flap of the tipi, Numaga motioned for Adam to enter. When he did he was shocked. Chenoa was there with her baby but tending to Inola whose bruised and battered body lay on her sleeping mat. Her eyes were closed, but her body twitched and her arms raised themselves as if she was defending herself yet. Adam knelt beside her and tears coursed down his face. "What happened to her?"

"The men were out hunting. We were collecting berries, nuts, and roots to make a meal when they returned with fresh game. Three of the young women wanted to bathe when we finished. We left them at a pool. When they did not return when the men were back, they went looking for them. They found them. Two were dead and Inola was like this. Some men had taken them and choked them so they could not call for help or even breathe. Inola has already lost her baby. I fear her life will soon end. She has never awakened."

Numaga was standing behind them. His anger dissipated as he watched Adam take Inola's hand and hold it gently. Adam talked softly to her for a time, and it calmed her to hear his voice, but yet she still did not awaken. "They stole furs and horses too. No one saw them, and Inola could not tell us who they were, but we know who they are. The young men will kill them when they find them."

"It could mean a war."

"It is already a war, but they kill our women instead of fighting our warriors."

As Adam held Inola's hand, his logical mind noted the blood under her fingernails. "She did hurt them."

"Yes, there was blood on her hands when we found her. She fought them. She had a brave heart, but their evil was too strong."

"When did this happen?"

"Two days. I expect the young men to be back soon." Numaga gestured for Adam to follow him from the tipi then. Once outside, he sat by the fire and asked Adam to sit with him. "If there is trouble, you will speak for us with the whites?"

"I will. I will tell them what was done and who did it. I pray that it will be enough to stop any further violence."

By the end of the day, the frustrated young men were back. They had lost the trail of the men as they got very close to Virginia City. But Adam had a lot of clues and headed back to talk to Roy and locate Thom and Jace if possible. Adam knew that they had to be the ones, but he needed to be able to prove it. There were plenty of charges against those men already so he only had to locate them, and Roy would arrest them. Then when they got enough evidence, they could be charged with murder as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Without stopping at home, Adam rode to Virginia City and the sheriff's office. He was surprised to see Moses' freight wagon in town. Moses usually picked up a load of lumber in the morning. Once that was delivered, if he had time, he hauled freight to Carson or to Virginia City or any of the other small towns on his return trip. By doing that, he was working very long days, but he was making as much as eight dollars a day. He would often spend the night at the lumber camp so he could get an early start the next day. Sometimes that meant he was carrying forty or fifty dollars on the wagon by the end of the week unless he was able to get to a bank while he was working. For him to be in town was a puzzlement for Adam because it meant he would make half of his usual income that day, and if anything, Moses was ambitious and hardworking. When Adam got to Roy's office he had his answer. Moses was there answering questions about the death of Two Cats.

"He made me throw down my pistol. I guess he never guessed a teamster would have a shotgun. I told him I was reaching for the cash box, and instead I brought up that scattergun. He aimed at me then so I shot him. Couldn't hardly miss at that range, but I do thank you Adam for that gift. Saved my life cause anyone that renegade robbed always ended up dead."

No one would mourn Two Cats. His people had banished him for his behavior, and whites wanted him dead or locked up for the things that he had done. The only ones likely to miss him were Jace and Thom. As Adam told them about what had happened to Inola and two other women, Roy shook his head and Moses was visibly shaken.

"Adam, I guess it a good time to tells ya what Matilda and I been planning. We're buying Sheriff Roy's place. It just the right size for us, and Sheriff Roy wants to get a little place in town closer and with less work to do. He can walk to work from his new place, and I'll feel safer with Matilda right on the edge of town instead of all alone for most of the week. She'll be able to make some friends, and when Daniel's old enough, he can walk to school ifn they let him attend."

"Oh, they'll let him attend. I'll make sure of that. I'll miss seeing you, but I knew you would move on as soon as you could. I'm glad for you too. Matilda will love those fruit trees Roy has on his place. They've been neglected for years, but I'm sure she'll get them to produce again."

"Yes, my Mary planted those from seed when we first got that place. They were just beginning to bear fruit when she passed."

There was a little catch in Roy's voice when he mentioned his late wife's name, and once again, Adam got an insight into true love. He understood that far better than he ever had, but wondered if he would ever feel that way about a woman and have her feel that way about him. Meanwhile he had to seek justice for Inola. He left Roy and Moses who continued talking about their respective moves and went to the saloon. He wasn't there for a drink as much as for information.

"A little early in the day for you, handsome, isn't it?" Suzy had asked Adam up to her room on more than one occasion, and although she would gladly have spent time with him without payment, he always left a generous amount making sure she understood their relationship. She didn't mind too much, but no matter how much she loved him, she knew he would never love her.

"For some things, yes, but not what I want today."

"Well, sugar, you just ask, and I'll be happy to oblige."

"I'd like to go to your room to talk."

"Is that what we're calling it now, sugar?"

"No, I mean to talk. But if we go to your room, no one will be suspicious. Now, can we please do that?"

So Suzy had taken his hand and led him to her room. Adam sat on a chair as Suzy sat on the bed. She waited for she knew he would say what he wanted when he was ready to say it.

"I'm looking for two men who attacked some women and killed them. One of them at least scratched one of her attackers. She had blood under her nails. So he's going to have some nasty scratches, I would think. I want you to ask around to see if anyone has visited one of the ladies in town and has those kind of scratches. I'll make it worth your time and effort and do the same for anyone who comes forward with that information. I'll know if they're lying too." As a gesture of good faith, Adam pulled out a twenty dollar gold piece and placed it in Suzy's palm. He wrapped his hands around her hand closing it over the coin. "This is very important to me, Suzy. I need your help to get justice for these women."

Almost ready to accept the proposition, Suzy suddenly had a couple of questions. "You already know who they are, don't you? You just want to be able to prove it."

Nodding, Adam waited. He liked Suzy because she was smart as well as pretty. Under other circumstances, he might have been very attracted to her. He waited for her to guess the rest. "Why don't you go to Sheriff Coffee with this? He would hunt those men down like the dirty dogs they are. Oh, the women weren't white, were they? Were they Paiute?" Nodding again, Adam waited. Suzy had a very well developed sense of right and wrong despite what the minister and others might think of how she made her living. "I'll help you. Those men deserve to hang, and slowly, very slowly."

"Thank you, Suzy. I knew I could count on you. Now I need to get going. I haven't been home in days, and there's going to be hell to pay there."

"You and your pa at odds again?"

Smiling a bit sheepishly, Adam nodded. "Moses says it's because we're too much alike. Once more, I know I let my temper get the best of me. I do need to learn how to rein it in and curb my tongue when I can't."

"You know you're always welcome here when you have a little steam to blow off."

"I know. Suzy you are a very good friend. Thank you. Now have we been up here long enough for everyone to think they know what we were doing?"

"For most men, yes, but for you, no. We never leave the room until at least an hour has passed. What would you like to do to pass the rest of the time?"

"We'll figure something out." And he grinned that grin that made her go weak in the knees. Just over an hour later, Adam walked down the stairs, said goodbye to Cosmo, and tipped his hat to the other customers he knew. Then he mounted up on Sport to head home. It was time to face the music there, except he didn't have to wait that long. His father was walking out of Cass' Mercantile and saw him exit the saloon. When Adam rode up to the buckboard to say hello, his father had a frosty greeting for him.

"So that's how you spend your time when you ride off angry. Hoss said you were going to the lumber mill. Last time I looked, that was in the opposite direction. Your brother is doing fine with his broken arm, no thanks to you."

Feeling his temper rise as well as his temperature, Adam did his best to hold back the first retort that came to mind. He held his breath and exhaled forcefully. "I did go to the lumber mill. The orders are on schedule. Then I went to the timber camps and spent two days blazing before I went to Numaga's camp. Inola was attacked again, and probably by the same men. I came to town to report the attacks and the deaths of two young women to Roy. I was in the saloon making arrangements to get information."

Walking up to greet his old friend, Roy heard Adam's statement. "Now Adam, you leave the investigating to me. You know that I won't let those men go unpunished, but these things sometimes take some time. You stay out of this, you hear?"

"I guess Pa isn't the only one who doesn't seem to remember that I'm a man, and I'll do what I think is right no matter what you say. Good day. It seems I'm not very welcome around here." Before either man could dissuade him, Adam wheeled his horse and headed out of town. Ben was relieved that at least he was heading in the direction of the Ponderosa.

"Roy, is Inola dead?"

"From what Adam told me, it was probably just a matter of time. Two others were killed outright, but her throat was partially crushed, she lost the baby she was carrying, and probably has some internal injuries. Not much that can be done for her. Adam was pretty broke up about it."

"And like a damn fool, I shot my mouth off before I knew what he had been doing. I do that a lot with him. I don't know why."

"Sure you do. He's your oldest and you always expect him to take the lead and you like to hold him up as an example to your younger boys. I guess we both do that some. I, for one, am going to do my best to be a friend to him and stop acting so much like a guardian."

"Probably good advice for me too. I have a feeling that I have several apologies to make, and that's not easy for me to do."

"Especially when your temper's up?"

"Especially, and my oldest has a way of lighting that fire faster than anyone."

"How about a cup of coffee before you head home to face the music?"

"Sounds like a good idea as long as it isn't that tar you serve and call coffee. Let's go over to the restaurant and get some good coffee. My treat." The two old friends headed across the street together.

As Adam rode down the road, he could see a freight wagon up ahead. Assuming it was probably Moses headed home, he hurried to catch up to it. When he did, it was indeed Moses who invited him to ride with him. After tying Sport to the back of the wagon, Adam climbed up on the seat next to Moses who was headed to the cabin to collect Matilda and their belongings. Roy had little in the way of personal possessions and was ready to move. Moses and Matilda did not have much yet, but now with a house and a small stable with corral, they would be able to start building up their property.

"I'm going to miss you, Moses."

"I'll be around some yet for a while."

"For a while?"

"Oh, I been meaning to tell ya. Once I pays you off, I'm planning on expanding my business. I met another black man who's good with horses. I plans on buying another rig and team with him as the second driver. I'll use this place in Virginia City as one base, and we plans to have another place in Carson and eventually other towns. Once I get a place in California, we'll start hauling regular over the mountains too."

"I am impressed. If you want, instead of paying me off, I'll invest more so you can expand faster. That way my income increases but yours will increase even more."

"You don't mind?"

"Mind? I'm thrilled to have the opportunity, and to have my first big investment turn out so well. If every investment I make does this well, I'll be a very rich man someday."

"You are a rich man, Adam."

"No, my father is a rich man. He reminds me all the time that he built the Ponderosa, and that he makes the final decisions. I want to be able to have something I built."

"You resent that he doesn't give you credit for all the hard work you put into it?"

"Hoss and I both worked very hard, and neither of us gets any credit for it when he's on his high horse."

"You angry with him again for something in particular or you jes venting in general."

Smiling at how well Moses understood him, Adam nodded. "Both I guess. He seems to assume the worst of me sometimes, and I find that very irritating. He blames me for Little Joe breaking his arm."

"How did that happen, and why does he blame you?"

So Adam explained how Little Joe had snuck out of the house to do something he wasn't supposed to do, and broke his arm in the endeavor, but that his father blamed him for owning the horse that did the damage.

"He probably so worried about the young one, he didn't know what he was saying."

"That's just it. I don't know whether he meant it or not. Sure seemed like he meant it the way he said it."

"At some point, you two needs to clear all da air betweenst y'alls before it poison everything. Your pa and you got some tempers. Ya gots to learn to make it work for ya and not against ya. It can make ya stronger but only if you let the fire burn inside ya ta make ya fierce. Ya let it all out and ya loses control."

"Why is it when you start giving me advice like that, you get all drawl and backwoodsy?"

Laughing, Moses looked at his friend. "My Pappy used to talk like that. When he did, he was always telling a story. I ain't a storyteller like him, but I remembers the style he had. When I'm thinking deep, it seems my Pappy is there in my head telling me what ta say."

"Your pappy must have been a wonderful man."

"He was. They hung him up in a tree the last time he run away. He never stop trying to be free. He told me that if he died in the trying, he was still free, and he would face the Almighty as a man and not as a slave. I kept that in mind my whole life and waited for my own chance to be free. Worked out better for me."

"So when I told you about the man I saw lynched in Missouri, that must have reminded you of your father."

"Shore did. But I know you well enough now to tell you the rest of that story. I watched them hang my pappy as an example to all the rest of us. Only I remembered what my Pappy had said. He told me that no matter what happened to him, I was to keep the dream of freedom alive for me and the others. He's the one done told me to fight evil when ya got a chance to win, and other times you gots to wait it out."

"I remember. I've got some evil to fight right now." And Adam told Moses what he was doing to try to bring Thom and Jace to justice.

"Seems to me, they be better off if you catches em before the Paiute does."

"Probably."

"You got time to help me move tomorrow? Matilda and I will pack everything up, but she still recovering from lying in with Daniel, and he still needs her care most of the time. I could use some help moving."

"I got time. I'll be there as early as I can. I'll bring our wagon too."

At the old cabin, Adam stopped in to say hello to Matilda and Daniel before heading home to wait for his father. They did need to talk, but Adam wondered what mood his father would be in when he got home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Adam, I'm sorry for the things I said. My temper was much too short, and when I'm angry, it seems my hearing is affected as well as my judgment. I had no call to blame you for Joseph's accident nor should I have jumped on you in town without giving you a chance to explain first."

"Pa, I'm sorry I lost my temper and left. I should have stayed here and talked with you. But do you really think that what happened to Little Joe was an accident? To me, it was willful disobedience."

"Well, perhaps it was, but a broken arm is quite a penalty to pay for what he did."

"So there was no other punishment?"

"No, I had a long talk with him. He's been in quite a bit of pain, and because it's his left arm, he hasn't been able to ride or do anything else he wanted to do." By Adam's look, Ben knew he wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Son, I know that I was too hard on you when you were young, and I was too hard on Hoss as well. I pushed you and Hoss so hard and didn't give you a chance to be a child."

"We understood you wanted us to grow up to be responsible men. Pa, Little Joe is no longer a child. It was one thing to let him be spoiled when he was, but he's old enough now to work and take on responsibility. He shouldn't get to use the excuse that he didn't know better."

"Well, I don't think I let him use that excuse, and I have disciplined him when I thought it was necessary. I'm still his father, and I'll make the decisions about how to raise him. Now, back to you. What's going on that you needed to investigate?"

"Inola had blood under her fingernails so we know she scratched her attackers. I asked Suzy to check around and find out if any of the ladies has entertained a man lately and noticed that they were scratched. You know the men around here show the utmost respect to the women who live here. Last week, a group of men trounced a man for swearing in front of Julia Bulette. No man would force a woman here and get scratched, so if a man is scratched, then it's strong evidence that they were one of the attackers."

"You think it's Thom and Jace, don't you?"

"Yes, we know they're still in the area, and their friends have been helping them hide. Once they find out what they did though, it may change their minds on that score."

"Haven't you had enough trouble with those two?"

"Pa, I'm the witness against them. Do you think that if they get a chance, they won't try to get rid of me? I ride around with that knowledge all the time."

"Well investigating like this is only going to make things worse. Why don't you stay around the ranch for the next few days at least and let Roy try to find them?"

"I will most of the time. Tomorrow though I'm helping Moses and Matilda move to their new place. They're buying Roy's place, and Roy's going to take a smaller place in town. It'll be easier on him, and Moses and Matilda want their own place very much."

"Has Moses repaid you the money you loaned him then?"

"No, and in fact, I'm investing more so he can expand his business to Carson and eventually to California."

"Do you think that's wise? We could use that investment money right here on the Ponderosa if you wanted to invest it somewhere."

"I do invest here, but I wanted to expand my investments a bit. I was thinking of investing in some mines next. A new man in town, Bill Enders, is looking for a partner to do that kind of thing."

"Well, it's your money."

Adam could tell his father wasn't happy to find that Adam planned to have an independent investment portfolio. It would make him less dependent on the Ponderosa and on his father. It would probably take Ben some time to get used to that idea. For the time being, there was peace between them though. Ben walked to the house, and Hoss walked up to Adam.

"Heard what you was saying. Ifn I get some extra money, would you help me find an investment too?"

"I would be happy to help you, Hoss."

"On that other thing with Little Joe, you think he shoulda been punished for what he did? He is hurting with that broken arm."

"He isn't going to be punished, so it really doesn't matter. But someday, we're all going to pay the price for him not learning to control himself and running off doing any fool thing he thinks he wants to do. I hope the consequences aren't too awful, but his behavior is only going to get more dangerous the older he gets."

Hoss and Adam worked in the stable for the rest of the afternoon. Shortly before dinner, a carriage arrived. Adam walked out to see who it was, and he was surprised to see it was Suzy.

"I bet you didn't think you'd get results so fast, but nobody likes a man who takes from a woman what she has the right to deny him. Thom and Jace both got scratches. They were in a day ago to that cheap place on the end of D Street. The girls there say they come in regularly but only very late at night when no one would see them. They told the girls they were heading to Possum Creek and Possum Point. They said the got traps set there, and some furs and such stashed away."

As Adam dug into his pocket for money, Suzy told him not to do that. "We all decided the information was free. What they did was wrong, and they should be punished. Do you want me to tell Sheriff Coffee?"

"Yes, let him know. Maybe he'll get to them before I do. Thank you, Suzy, and thank the other ladies for me too. I'll pay for the carriage though. You shouldn't have to pay for that. Here's enough to cover it."

Smiling, Suzy turned the carriage around and headed back to town. Ben walked out to find out who it had been, and Adam told him what he had learned.

"She's going to tell Roy?"

"Yes, hopefully, Roy will be able to apprehend them. If not, I'm going after them."

"Son, I understand how you feel, but it would be better if Roy did it. If he fails, I'll ride with you, and I'm sure Hoss would too."

"You betcha I would. Nobody ought to ever treat a lady that way."

Ben's willingness to help did more to heal the rift with his eldest son than their discussion had accomplished. Ben decided to keep to himself any more opinions about Adam's investments, and for the time being, Adam kept his thoughts to himself about what he considered the lenient treatment of his youngest brother. The next day, Adam headed out early to the old cabin to help Moses and Matilda. He skipped breakfast because he knew Matilda would have made her cornbread knowing he was going to be there, and he was not disappointed. Moses and Adam spent the morning loading wagons with their possessions. Each dish and breakable was carefully wrapped and placed in crates or barrels. The last to be loaded were the foodstuff. By early afternoon, the two wagons were ready to head for town. It was about that time that Roy and a posse rode up to the old cabin. Ben was with them for they had gone to the main house first. Adam wondered what they could want.

"Adam, I have to ask you where you were today."

"I've been here since just after dawn. Why?"

"Well, seeing as how you knew where Jace and Thom were, I had to ask. Now who can swear that you were here all that time?"

"Roy, what's going on? It sounds as if you're asking if I have an alibi. What happened?"

Well, from what we found and from what some men here tell me, you do need an alibi. Now who can swear to you being here all this time?"

"I can swear to it Sheriff, and so can my wife. Adam has been here helping us since dawn. He had breakfast and lunch with us too."

There was some grumbling in the posse about two blacks being the only alibi Adam had. Ben stepped in then.

"If he went anywhere, it had to have been by wagon. His horse has been in the stable all morning, and Hoss, Little Joe, and I were working around the place all morning. We never saw Adam there."

"Well, now that's all good enough for me. You boys head back to town. I'm gonna be talking with these folks for a bit." As the posse turned and rode for town, Roy dismounted. "Sorry about that, Adam, but some a those boys was thinking it was you who done it, and I had to show I wasn't showing any favoritism."

"Roy, what did you find that made them think I had done something?"

"Well, now, lots of folks know you was kinda sweet on that Inola. They heard what was done to her and to those other two. With the way we found Jace and Thom, it looked like someone who was getting revenge for those women. They was mutilated and you know what I mean. They was cut from their middle to their throat and everything was spilled out. They wasn't scalped exactly. Their scalps were cut loose from the back and draped on over their faces. It was a pretty gruesome sight when we found em. There was an awful lot of blood around so a lot of what was done musta happened while they was still alive. I can only hope they was unconscious. From the looks of it, it was done just a short time before we got there, but there were no tracks so whoever done it, brushed their tracks. They left behind an awful sight though. Nobody tried to cover up any of what was done."

"That bad?"

"Adam, we had to bury em where we found em. It woulda been too hard to bring back what was left in the state they was in. It was pretty bad. I gotta say it was the worst I've ever seen. You ever heard of anybody doing something like that?"

"No, I haven't."

"You got any ideas who mighta done it?"

"Could have been any number of people. They've been harming people for years around here. Lots of people held grudges against them."

"Ah huh. Well I got to get back to town. I guess that closes the book on this. I have no suspects, no witnesses, no evidence, and no one is likely to step forward to admit it. I'll be seeing you." Roy mounted up and rode back to town after telling Moses and Matilda that he would meet them at his place to give them the keys, and sign the papers turning the place over to them. The money had already been deposited at the bank so the deal was almost done.

Ben walked over to Adam. "Do you think the Paiute did it?"

"What do you think, Pa?"

"I think I'll keep my theories to myself. Enough people have been hurt already. Like Roy says, we should just close the book on this."

"Sounds good to me, Pa."

"There are going to be people who wonder if you did it though."

"I didn't, so they can wonder all they want. But justice was done, and I don't feel badly at all about what happened to them. They invited their own demise."

"All right. I'll see you back at the house later?"

"Yes, as soon as we can get all of this unloaded. I'll leave the unpacking to Moses and Matilda. It'll be exciting for them to put things away in their own home."

Turning to Moses, Ben thanked him for all of the improvements he had made to the old cabin and the stable. He handed Moses an envelope. "It's a bonus for the extra work you did. Buy something nice for your son and your wife. And thank you." Ben mounted up and rode back home then.

Moses looked over at Adam. "They're right. Some still gonna think you done it."

"Better that than starting a war with the Paiute over two men like that. It's over now. Justice has been served, and we're all a little bit safer with those three men gone to meet their Maker. I don't think they're going to like their next destination at all."

The next day, Adam told his father that he was riding up to the Paiute camp. When he got there, he could see that the men were ready for a fight. He walked into the camp, and Numaga came to see him.

"Will there be an attack soon?"

"I don't think so. No one has talked about the Paiute doing it. It was on Washoe lands and there was no evidence that the Paiute had ever been there. There are some who think I did it."

"You would let them think that?"

"I would have killed them if I could. Justice has been done. It doesn't matter what people think especially if it keeps them from suspecting the Paiute. There will be no war, and that's what matters most. I came to find out about Inola."

"She will recover, I think. She woke up, but she speaks very little. Her voice is very weak, and it is difficult for her to say words. She may never be able to speak much. She stays in our tipi and watches over the baby. Her brothers want to take her to the Newe camp where there is a man who wants to marry her. He is older but kind. They think it best for her to do this."

"What do you think?"

"I told them I thought it was best." Looking at Adam, Numaga wondered how he felt about it. He was reassured by Adam's answer.

"It is probably best. We would not likely have been able to find a life together. She would have been terrified to try to live in my world, and I could not live in yours no matter how much I admire your people. It is not my way. I brought a gift for her. I hoped that she would survive, and I wanted her to have something to use to defend herself." Adam handed a hand tooled belt and a belt scabbard with a bone handled knife in it. If she wants it, it is for her. If she does not want to wear it, then she should keep it for the son she will bear someday."

"Thank you. I will give it to her."

"Tell her I cared for her, and I wish her well."

"She knows, but I will tell her. Goodbye, my friend. Until we meet again."

"Goodbye, Numaga, until we meet again." The next time they met, six years later, Adam was a hostage of Chief Winnemucca and it was war, but that is another story.


End file.
